Concept of Social Harmony in the time of Social Distancing – Perceived though the Perspective of Indian Saints.

Concept of Social Harmony in the time of Social Distancing 

– Perceived though the Perspective of Indian Saints.

Abstract - In the time of #social distancing the paper discusses the concept of #social harmony as seen in the works of #Indian saints. Social-Harmony plays a very crucial role in maintaining the integrity and unity of a nation. Social relations among different groups are really important aspect for any society to develop as a whole. India is a land of yogis, poets and saints that have always show the path of love and compassion to the world. It’s a land of spiritual practice and knowledge where various saint- poets like Tulsidas, Kabir, Rahim, Surdas, Mirabai, Guru Nanak, Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda etc. have propagated the idea and value of social harmony. The paper further discusses the idea and importance of social harmony not only among humans but also with nature, and lessons to be learned by the spread of #corona pandemic.

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This is a critical time but also an opportunity for all of us to become more familiar with the ways in which technology can keep us connected since we are unable to physically congregate. No doubt this corona virus crisis is prompting us to improvise new ways of collaborating and harmonizing. At this time of uncertainty, it is also important and necessary that we do not lose optimism and self-confidence in the constructive efforts round the world.

As such, in the time of social distancing I would like to discuss the concept of social harmony as seen in the works and message of Indian Saints. Social harmony as such, can be defined ‘as a process of valuing, expressing, and promoting love, trust, admiration, peace, harmony, respect, generosity and equity upon other people in any particular society regardless of their national origin, weight, marital status, ethnicity, colour, gender, race, age and occupation etc. among other aspects.’¹

Dalai Lama says “the entire world is interdependent. That is why I often speak about universal responsibility. The outbreak of this terrible coronavirus has shown that what happens to one person can soon affect every other being. But it also reminds us that a compassionate or constructive act—whether working in hospitals or just observing social distancing—has the potential to help many.”²

Well, as such it seems that social harmony is what a society or a country yearns for. Social-Harmony plays a very crucial role in maintaining the integrity and unity of a nation. Social relations among different groups are indeed an important aspect for any society. India or Bharat, is a land of rishis, yogis, poets and saints that have always shown the path of love and compassion to the world. It’s a land of spiritual practice and knowledge where various rishis like Shri Vyasa Muni, Maharishi Valmiki, Shri Brahmarshi Vishwamitra,Rishi Agasthya, Maharishi Patanjali, Shri Adi Shankaracharya, Goswami Tulsidas, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Swami Sivananda Saraswati, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Shri Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Swami Vivekananda, Shri Paramahansa Yogananda, Shri Ramana Maharishi, Shri Shirdi Sai Baba, Shri Aurobindo, Shri Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Shri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, Shri Shivkrupanand Swami, Avadhot Sivananda Swami, Shri Shri Ravi Shankar and Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev , have propagated the idea and value of social harmony. Social harmony and equality were and are the heart of Indian ethos.

These saints and poets belonged to various castes and communities, spoke varied languages and dialects, and came from different professions. For example - Kabir was a weaver, Namdev was a tailor, Akho was a goldsmith, Goro was a potter and Chokhmela was a mahar. While Eknath and Gyanadev were Brahmins. All spoke and sang about the tradition that was based on equality and harmony of all mankind. Whereas Mirabai and Narasinh sang in praise of God. These Saints and the acharyas had their own followings. In different periods of time, several religions were formed all over India. But the beauty of these religions was that, that all of them represented pure bhakti which is the central theme of the all Hindu scriptures and was illustrated by all of the Saints. Just like a flower in a garland appear to be separate, but is tied together harmoniously by a thread or string, all the religions or traditions of India are initially tied up with the string of bhakti as if they are all one single religion of bhakti which is appearing in numerous forms.

As such, these saints-poets did not belong to any single religion or tradition. But they belonged to this country and its people. They did not write in Sanskrit, but preached and sang in the common dialect and their poetry survived hundreds of years of oral tradition. The Santvani still vibrates in the air and sky of our country giving the message of social harmony. Let us just tune in as see what they say –

 

Ø  Tulsidas says –'तुलसी इस संसार में, भांति भांति के लोग|

                                    सबसे हस मिल बोलिए, नदी नाव संजोग||’

Ø  Kabir says – ‘जाति न पूछो साधु की, पूछ लीजिये ज्ञान,
                    मोल करो तरवार का, पड़ा रहन दो म्यान I.’

Ø  Rahim says – ‘जे गरिब पर हित करैं, हे रहीम बड।

            कहा सुदामा बापुरो, कृष्ण मिताई जोग ‘

Ø               Ø  Chanakya says – ‘व्यक्ति अपने कार्यों से महान होता है, अपने जन्म से नहीं । ‘

     Ø  Guru Nanak says that cast is vain and contributes not to 

             goodness or holiness: --

‘Castes are folly, names are folly
All creatures have one shelter, that of God.
If a man call himself good,
The truth shall be known, O Nanak, when his account is accepted.’

Man, no matter what his caste or social position may be, is exalted by devotion: --

‘What difference is there between a swan and a crane, if God look kindly on the latter?
Nanak, if it please Him, He can change a raven into a swan’

(https://www.sacred-texts.com/skh/tsr1/tsr125.htm)

In all the above hymns or poems devotion or Bhakti comes in many flavours and the poets sing about harmony with society as well as with the almighty. According to various Hindu school of thoughts there are five kinds of emotions that arise from these Bhakti songs and poems. The five bhavas or rasas they are Shanta, Dasya, Sakhya, Vatsalya and Madhurya.³ These bhavas arise in one’s heart subconsciously, and a person goes towards whatever resonates with his or her temperament. As such all the saints have a humanitarian message that shows basic equality of all living beings. The list could be endless, and it’s not possible to include in a short paper.

Every nation is the expression of an idea and Swami Vivekanand says “This idea is working for the world and is necessary for its preservation.” The words of Vivekanand with their freshness and vigour provide an answer to questions that agitate both individual as well as society.

In his Chicago Speech (11 September 1893) he says –

I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth.

In a letter to Justice Sir Subramaniam on January 3, 1895 Vivekananda says -

The modern class is not the real caste. It is in fact an obstruction to progress, which disturbs the uninhibited activities of castes and classes amid their differences.

He strongly believed that India has a long-standing tradition of solving its own problems. The illusion that no efforts were made in the past towards the upliftment of the downtrodden and such efforts have started only recently is a deliberately constructed myth. He asks-

Has India ever faced a shortage of reformers? Have you read the history of India? Who was Shankaracharya ? Who was Nanak? Who was Chaitanya? Who was Kabir? …….. All these preachers were like the shining stars of our galaxy. Did not Ramanuj empathize with the backward classes? Did he not try to bring them under his fold?

He says we have made a mistake in understanding our caste system. He believes and says everyone has made the mistake of holding cast to be a religious institution and tried to pull down religion and caste all together, and failed. On the contrary, he articulates that caste is a social custom, it is an outgrowth of the political institution of India. Swami Vivekanand understands this difference and hence he constantly tried to separate religion from the evils of society and tried to comprehend the truth. He says-

At present, our religion is not in the Vedas, Puranas, devotion or deliverance; it has entered the kitchen. Currently, religion in India is neither on the path of knowledge nor intelligence; it only treads on untouchability. It has ended up getting condensed in, “Aatmavat sarvabhooteshu” (consider all the living beings as your own soul). Is this message meant to be confined to books only?

Swami Vivekanand, who was devoted to the Vedanta, was extremely unhappy with social evils and firmly determined to eradicate them from society. He strongly believed that a harmonious society is the first step towards the welfare of mankind. Once during a discussion on non-duality, Swami Vivekanand told his disciples - 

I belong to all people. We are followers of the Vedic Hindu Religion. We have nothing to do with untouchability as there is no such concept in the Hindu religion. Our scriptures do not mention untouchability; it is merely a superstition that keeps interfering with the routine concentration of work of the population.

The recent crises have made us aware about the positive as well as negative points of our society. Aided by donors, investors, and communities at large, many NGOs are working to tackle the crisis and help out vulnerable sections of the population, especially vendors, daily-wage earners, and small businesses. As lakhs of labours have become jobless and penniless, we see many NGO’s and organisations coming forward and feeding and sheltering those helpless and also creating social awareness. While on other hand it seems that some religious sects are trying to purposefully spread the virus and also create disharmony. At this juncture the teaching of our saints and gurus can certainly guide us towards creating harmony.

Thus, in the present scenario it seems that this message of social harmony has become stronger. Here it is important to understand what Sadhguru articulates when he says “Unfortunately, certain people make our differences into discrimination…if you take away the discrimination and keep the differences how beautiful it is …no society in the world has this fine distinction…. these subtleties, these differences are fantastic. We are colourful culture because of these differences.” We should never confuse differences with discriminations. Our nation survives and is beautified by these differences.

However, it’s quite clear that a nation that invests in prejudice, that manifests in oppression of its own citizenry, cannot be successful. People of all faith, nation, colour irrespective of all these differences living peacefully in mutual trust as a society is social harmony. Social harmony refers to greater interconnection among its various believers. It is a situation wherein different units feel together, where individual identities are dissolved within a greater social reality and where there is greater attachment to the notion of a greater unity.  It is a system where in we acknowledge that differing identities co-exist within the system, but we also claim that there is cooperation rather than competition or strife. Social harmony is, accordingly, a state of affairs where social strife is minimized through cooperation, compromise and understanding.

As such the base of Indian civilization has always been spirituality. We have always believed that every being has been formed from the same essence (तत्व ).  In the Indian tradition, philosophy and religion have always gone hand in hand. We proclaim earth to be our mother and each soul to be divine. No doubt all our ancient and modern saints, poets and rishis, from Kalidas to Sadhguru all have preached social harmony. But it is regrettably that many times we are yet unable to sustain this status. We failed to remember this feeling of universality and end up distancing ourselves from each other.

Simultaneously, we should not forget that India’s centripetal forces – economic growth, corporate and infrastructure development and improved national democratic governance – bring the national together. Rajiv Malhotra in his Breaking India says that the centripetal forces that divide India are both internal and external and they are threat to Social Harmony. The internal ones include communalism and social-economic disparities of various kinds. India has the largest number of poor citizens in the world, largest number of children without school. There are social issues that are partly historical and partly modern. In each and every social aspect we see different narratives and movement that are a threat to Social Harmony. Separatist movements threaten everyday life in Kashmir, and other parts. Today India is confronted with a large number of separatist movements. While outwardly we are surrounded by unstable and radicalized nations, while inward also there are many threats.

The same is being said by Vivekanand. For years we had been cut off and had stopped learning. He says that there two causes to produce a disease, in some cases germs from outside attack the body while in some cases germs thrive and multiply within the body. But in both case immunity plays an important role. So, we should strength our inner self, if we want to survive.

He says that solution will come not by bringing down the higher, but by raising the lower up to the level of the higher and this can be done by education. The only solution for the welfare of the nation is to be free from social evils and adopt a harmonious way of life through education. There should be closeness instead of rage. We must strengthen the society instead of yearning after personal rights. We must care for the entire mankind and not only ourselves. A harmonious society will come into existence only on the basis of love and good feelings towards others.

In times of social conflict, intolerance, and war-like situation, the concept and approach propagated by out saints, to creating and sustaining peace takes on a new and urgent significance. All of us today would appreciate the teachings of these saints and gurus, that are   clear, practical, undogmatic, and contemporary in flavour. These teachings on Social and Communal Harmony will prove to be important readings for anyone seeking to bring peace into their communities and into the wider world.

Essentially the idea of वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्   - is the idea in which Vivekanand believed and is the Idea of our nation. This declaration is not just about peace and harmony among the societies in the world, but also about a truth that the whole world has to live like a family. Just by expecting this idea and by at least trying to live by it and practice it in our lives, we could make this world a better place.

This pandemic phase and the lockdown have made us aware the we cannot and should not be tranquilized by the false security that the modern technology is provide us. We should never incline to forget about how fragile the life on this planet is. While preparing our instant dinners in the safe vicinity of our kitchens we tend to forget that food is not coming from the supermarket but from a star 150 million kilometres away which gives light and energy to plants which feed us and the animals too. Whether we like it or not, whether aware of it or not, we are the part of a delicate ecosystem we are all dependable on and responsible for. For Kalidas, The Himalaya is a great devaatma, a great spiritual presence, stretching from the west to the eastern sea like a measuring rod to gauge the world's greatness. While Shankaracharya referred to the holy river ganga as the goddess of divine essence. In Sanatana Dharma nature is worshiped - tress, animal, birds, mountains, rivers, sun, moon etc. are worshiped and are part and parcel of existence. Indian has it has its own unique own unique eco centric approach, that has been propagated by all saints and gurus. Eco centric approach is an inherent part of a spiritual world view in India.

Today with every animal species going extinct we are losing part of our own survival, a part of ourselves. It is not possible to harm another human being or any other life form without harming a small part of ourselves. For ages we have been running after materialistic pleasures. We have been out of harmony with the universal law of harmony. The image may seem conflicting, but in this atmosphere of fear, isolation and panic, we can hear the birds again, the sky is smokeless, the rivers are clean. Slowly we are reflecting and planning and praying of a better world. As humans we should have empathy for nature as well.

We are lucky to have inherited a history, culture and civilization dating thousands of years back. This past no doubt has been a continuous source of inspiration for us. It is truly said that our capacity and capability to understand our great inheritance will decide our future, because each layer of society has had its own importance and existence.

In the end we should not forget -

चन्दन है इस देश की माटी, तपो भूमि हर ग्राम है।

हर बाला देवी की प्रतिमा, बच्चा-बच्चा राम है।।ध्रु.।।

हर शरीर मंदिर सा पावन, हर मानव उपकारी है

जहाँ सिंह बन गये खिलौने, गाय जहाँ माँ प्यारी है

जहाँ सवेरा शंख बजाता, लोरी गाती शाम है।

जहाँ कर्म से भाग्य बदलते, श्रमनिष्ठा कल्याणी है

त्याग और तप की गाथायें, गाती कवि की वाणी है

ज्ञान जहाँ का गंगाजल सा, निर्मल है अविराम है।

Corona crisis has shown us many incidences of social harmony. Yet the politician-corporate nexus is still quite strong in the world as well as in our country. 

At present, we have to be alert and remember that – ‘The woods are lovely, dark and deep’, but my nation has many promises to keep and a long journey ahead. Social harmony is the demand of the day.

 

References -

1. Social Harmony for Being Social by Mrs. Manisha Sharma © 2015 Global Journals Inc. (US)

2.https://www.dalailama.com/news/2020/prayer-is-not-enough-the-dalai-lama-on-why-we-need-to-fight-coronavirus-with-compassion

3.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331556783_INDIA-   THE_SOUL_OF_PEACE_HARMONY_AND_ETERNITY

4. https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/emotions-or-bhavas-in-bhakti-235033

5. Vivekananda his call to the nation published by Swami Mumukshananda ISBN 81-75050-018-7 (2001)

6. Swami Vivekananda on India and her problems compiled by Swami Nirvedananda (1985)

Published in - 
 #VIDHYAYANA,
 S p e c i a l I s s u e - I n t e r n a t i o n a l O n l i n e C o n f e r e n c e.
V o l u m e – 5 , 
I s s u e – 5 , M a y 2 0 2 0 
ISSN 2454-8596 www.MyVedant.com
 

Purpose of Reading

 Purpose of #Reading🙅

I have read lots of books but forgotten most of them. What's the purpose of reading?

Once there a was great teacher who had many students.

 Once, one of the students came to him and asked “I have read lots of books but forgotten most of them. What's the purpose of reading?”.

The teacher didn't give him an answer at that time.

After few days teacher gave that student a sieve which was in dirty and in very bad condition.

The teacher asked the student to fetch water from a nearby river in this sieve. The student didn't like the idea but he could not refuse his teacher.

He went to the river, filled sieve at the river and started his return journey. 

Few feet as he walks, all water in the sieve was drained through holes. 

Then again he went to the river and filled sieve. He did this all day but could not complete the task assigned by his teacher.

He returned to the teacher with a sad face and said “ I am unable to fetch water with this sieve. I have failed “

His teacher smiled at him. "No! You didn't fail."

Look at the sieve.!!!

It has become like new. It got clean when you were trying to fetch water.

The teacher then explained the true motive behind this task.

He said “ Last time you asked me what is the purpose of reading if you don't remember what you read. Now take this example of the sieve.

Sieve = #Mind

Water = #Knowledge

River = #Book

Even if you can't remember its OK!

But reading will definitely make your mind sharp. “

#Reading has a profound impact on our mind, brain.
 It helps to be a better version of yourself. 
This is a #subconscious process.

Forwarded by a friend👆 

💬💭If you #workfromhome, do read this 😃

A youngster was attending a video conference with his Manager and his Manager was upset over the background noises, the Youngster turned around and told his grandmother to keep quiet. 

She walked towards the youngster to take a look into what he was doing, she saw a person on the Monitor & asked “who is he?”

The youngster muted his audio and video by stating that “He is my Manager”

She said “I want to talk to your Manager”, But the youngster denied by the time the Manager started pinging the youngster and the youngster unmuted to talk and his grandmother shouted “Manager I want to talk to you"

The Manager agreed and the youngster unmuted the video, the grandmother with a smile said “Namaste "and she introduced herself and the Manager also greeted her.

She said “you look upset” The Manager said “yeah, some kind of work tension, a lot of noise around and we are not able complete the meeting in time”

The Grand Mother asked, “Can I solve your problem?”

The youngster was stopping her and he was telling her to keep quiet.

The Manager said “It’s ok, let her speak”

The Grand Mother Narrated “ Once there was an Young-man who sat under a  tree for taking rest, he was continuously hearing a bird’s sound and lifted his head up and started chasing the bird, so that he can peacefully take some rest, the bird came closer to him and said “ You are taking rest under my nest, I  will not ask you to leave the place, you should learn to  co-exist with us”

The Grandmother looked at both of them and said “ Your Home is your nest” 🍳🍶🐜🐩🐨where you are supposed to take rest and bond with your dear and near ones. I do understand the Covid-19 situation, but you should also understand that a home is not your office. 

When we come to visit our family members at your office, we are expected to behave professionally or maintain decorum, similarly when you are using our home, you should understand the situation at the home.

There is nothing wrong with working from home, but remember, it is the family members benevolent nature, that is keeping the corporate functioning today and economy running."

She looked at the manager and asked “Am I correct", the Manager’s mother peeped and said "you are absolutely right”!!!!!!

Debrief 

Please don't get too much frustrated when you hear background noises. Just because you are working from home that does not mean other family members will stop working. Remember - you are in their space and not other way around. 

As received from a friend 

Keep smiling and learning.😇

 Sharing a short motivating short-story 

 

Keep #smiling and #learning.😇

 

 

The little boy came from school on Saturday and told his father, my teacher has given us home-work to Hug 10 people  and tell them - Be patient, trust life and I Love you".

The Dad said - Ok, we will go to the Mall tomorrow morning and do it".

The child woke up all spirited up in the morning, got ready.Went to his Dad and said - "lets go!!"

 

The father said - "there is heavy rainfall, I fear nobody might be there".

The Child still insisted. So the Father drove in the horrible rainy weather to the Mall.

They stood in the mall for 1 hour, and the little boy hugged 9 people.

 His father then said - "now lets go, its raining heavily and we shouldn't get stuck!"

Sad the son went along with his father's orders. As they where driving past, the child pointed at a random house. Said - "please dad, just 1 person is remaining, I will go to that house and complete my homework"!

 

The father smiled and pulled the car over.The child went to the door and began to ring the bell and pound the door strongly with his knuckles. He kept waiting. Finally the door was opened gently.

A lady came out with a very sad look and gently asked:"What can I do for you, son?"

With radiant eyes and a bright smile the child said: "Ma'am my teacher has told to Hug 10 people and tell them - Be patient, trust life and I Love you".

I have hugged 9. May I hug you and pass the message to you.The Lady embraced him, and started crying profusely.On seeing that the Boy's father came out of the car. He went to the lady and asked - "Any problem madam?"

She composed herself, took them inside, gave them a cup of tea and then told his father - 

"My husband died a while ago leaving me totally alone in this world. Today morning the loneliness took over me. Since morning I have been thinking that this is the end of the road for me." 

 

Then I took a chair and a rope to my bedroom and decided to end my life. As I was seeing the world for one last time, I begged for forgiveness to my God and then heard this knock. I thought to leave it. But then nobody comes to visit me.When I opened the door, I couldn't believe what my eyes saw this little child. And when he said , "Be patient, trust life and I Love you".I knew it was a message from God. Suddenly I realized I don't want to die anymore, and have decided to make something productive of my life.

REMEMBER - 
Give positive thoughts to people.
 
Tell them you stand by them.
 
And even if nothing, just listen to them.
You could be the medium that saves a life!

Keep #smiling and #learning.😊

The 90/10 principle

The 90/10 principle

I am sharing this article I came across written by #Stephen Covey _ 

I hope you Enjoy it  Discover the 90/10 Principle. 

It will change your life (at least the way you react to situations)

What is this principle? 10% of life is made up of what happens to you.
90% of life is decided by how you react.

What does this mean? We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us.
We cannot stop the car from breaking down.
The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off/
A driver may cut us off in traffic.
We have no control over this 10%. 
The other 90% is different
You determine the other 90%
How? ……….By your reaction
You cannot control a red light but you can control your reaction
Don't let people fool you; YOU can control how you react.

Let's use an example - 
You are eating breakfast with your family.
Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt.
You have no control over what just happened.
What happens next will be determined by how you react.
You curse.
You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over.
She breaks down in tears.
After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table.
A short verbal battle follows.
You storm upstairs and change your shirt.
Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and could not get ready for school.
She misses the bus.
Your spouse must leave immediately for work.
You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school.
Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit.
After a 15-minute delay and throwing Rs.100 traffic fine away, you arrive at school.
Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye.
After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase.
Your day has started terrible.
As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse.
You look forward to coming home.
When you arrive home, you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter.
Why? 
Because of how you reacted in the morning.

Why did you have a bad day.
A) Did the coffee cause it.B) Did your daughter cause it.C) .Did the policeman cause it.D) Did you cause it
The answer is “D".

You had no control over what happened with the coffee.
How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day.
Here is what could have and should have happened.Coffee splashes over you
Your daughter is about to cry.
You gently say, "Its OK honey, you just need to be more careful next time"
Grabbing a towel you rush upstairs.
After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus.
She turns and waves.
You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff.
Your boss comments on how good the day you are having.
Notice the difference.
Two different scenarios.
Both started the same
Both ended different.
Why?
Because of how you REACTED.
You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens.
The other 90% was determined by your reaction.
Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 principle.
If someone says something negative about you, don't be a sponge.
Let the attack roll off like water on glass.
You don't have to let the negative comment affect you.
React properly and it will not ruin your day.
A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend or dear one /being fired/getting stressed out etc.
How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic
Do you lose your temper?
Pound on the steering wheel?
Do you curse?
Does your blood pressure skyrocket?
Do you try and bump them?
WHO CARES if you arrive ten seconds later at work?
Why let the cars ruin your drive?
Remember the 90/10 principle, and do not worry about it.
You are told you lost your job.
Why lose sleep and get irritated?it will work out
Use your worrying energy an d time into finding another job.
The plane is late; it is going to mangle your schedule for the day_
Why take out pour frustration on the flight attendant?
She has no control over what is going on.
Use your time to study, get to know the other passenger
Why get stressed out?
It will just make things worse.
Now you know the 90-10 principle.
Apply it and you will be amazed at the results.
You will lose nothing if you try it.

The 90-10 principle is incredible.

Very few know and apply this principle.
The result?
Millions of people are suffering from undeserved stress, trials, problems and heartache.
We all must understand and apply the 90/10 principle.

It CAN change your life!!!

Search for Enlightenment – Hermann Hesse’s Siddharth and The Journey to the East.

#Search for #Enlightenment –

#Hermann Hesse’s #Siddharth and #The Journey to the East.

#Hermann Hesse (1877-1962) is one of the greatest German novelist, poet and painter of New Age. His novels have resonated with countless generations and inspires a host of young readers. Born in the Swabian town of Calw in 1877, he ranks as one of the most widely read German-speaking authors of the 20^th century. Majority of his books have been translated into more than 60 languages and approximately 150 million copies of his works are in circulation around the globe.

 He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946 –

The main theme of his work is the individual’s efforts to break out of the established modes of civilization so as to find an essential spirit and identity. (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hermann-Hesse)

He an author who focuses on the anguish of self-analysis and is continuously searching for his own true identity. Consequently, distinguished as one of the finest and most influential writers, he fits into the set of writers who were largely disillusioned by proceedings around them during the 20^th century. Most of his writings discuss a deep yearning for the departed era of romanticism and express his spiritual turmoil, that is deeply rooted in the pathos of the modern age as it is slowly losing its association with the inner-self. Nonetheless regardless of this, he provided his readers the concept of an ideal world which can be seen as the remainder of the Romantic School of thought. It seems that, he concentrates on the three stages of development of human life, which begins with childhood innocence, moving on to experience and later comes back to innocence. But this chronology may not be relevant in the modern age, especially with the world that is left confounded and distressed after the two World Wars. He believes that the people born during or after the great wars are not likely to gain the ‘pre-WWI innocence’ and therefore are ‘confronted with the necessity to make free choices and judgments’ in their second stage of life. Almost all of his novels dealt with this theme. As the world was still recuperating from the wreckage of the Wars, his characters search for the meaning of life which demand the rejection of the conventional paths to peace.

In his biography, Hermann Hesse. Der Wanderer und sein Schatten (Hermann Hesse. The Wanderer and his Shadow – Hanser, Munich, 2012), Gunnar Decker tells us about this legendary author with a great sympathy but without romanticizing. He also views him from a critical distance, without being arrogant. He says -

This unmistakable figure in his straw hat, is anything but the simple, easy-going, companionable fellow he may appear; no carefree vagabond wanderer he. This is a notoriously irascible loner, one who can only endure other people – including his own wives – from a respectable distance. Physical contact is as anathema to him as unannounced visitors. Inner harmony eludes him, although he constantly evokes it with Goethe. His life is one of constant swings; phases of intense creativity alternating with periods of deep depression.

Gunnar Decker thus introduces us to a man torn, a nomad who searched all his life for inner harmony but was pursued by his own shadowy demon of self-destruction. Hesse's life and literary works are characterized by a constant preoccupation with the questions of religion and faith.  He was born into a Protestant-Pietist family of missionaries, preachers and theologians against whose rigour and strictness he soon rebelled. His parents also served as Protestant missionaries to India. Nevertheless, his father's and grandfather's missionary work in India intended that he was exposed to Hinduism and Buddhism and later on he went on to explore Chinese Taoism. He says-

Of the Western philosophers, I have been influenced most by Plato, Spinoza, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche as well as the historian Jacob Burckhardt. But they did not influence me as much as Indian and, later, Chinese philosophy.

(From Nobel Lectures, Literature 1901-1967, Editor Horst Frenz, Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1969)

Yet this path did not cause him to renounce Christianity. On the contrary, he developed the notion of a synthesis between the religions on the basis of a universal mysticism. He was, in fact, seeking to unity peoples, he wanted to be a connecting bridge between East and West. His Siddhartha (1922) and The Journey to East, (1932) are the proof of his literary testimony to the lifelong search for a God. Hesse believed in a religion outside, between and above confessions, which is indestructible. Hitherto he always took a very skeptical view of dogmas and teachings. He writes –

I believe one religion is as good as the other, there is none in which one could not become a sage, and none in which one could not just as easily engage in the inanest form of idolatry.

He has a wide appeal to the readers as his works have a spiritual message for today’s generation.  Gunnar Decker says –

He questioned autonomy and religion. He searched for a religious doctrine that was not militant or missionary, but open to other lifestyles, other idea.

After World War II, Hesse's books were very popular in Germany as the country wanted a source of direction and self-reflection. It was during the war that he wrote his last excessive work, The Glass Bead Game, which won him the 1946 Nobel Prize for Literature. At the time, the Nobel committee said that the prize was for his inspired writings which, while growing in boldness and penetration, exemplify the classical humanitarian ideals and the high art of style.

Siddhartha is one of the greatest and finest product of Hesse's so-called psychoanalytic period. Begun in 1919, First Part is dedicated to Romain Rolland and the book's composition spanned nearly three years. The second is dedicated to his cousin Wilhelm Gundert and was written during 1919-20 while the rest was completed eighteen months later. The entire work is loosely based on the life of Gautama Buddha. However, it also bears a relationship to Hesse's own life. Like Siddhartha, Hesse decided to choose another career than that which his father suggested. In the novel, Siddhartha the main protagonist, leaves the strict bonds of his Brahmin father to seek his own salvation. Hesse himself had left the strict bonds of his Pietist-Lutheran father to become a writer. Simultaneously we can also observe many similarities between Hesse's Siddhartha and the actual Buddha. Siddhartha, like Buddha is an outstanding pupil and athlete. Siddharth leaves his wife and unborn son for the life of an ascetic, as did Buddha. And just like Buddha he practiced yoga and meditated by the side of a river.  In both cases, it is beneath the tree by a river that the vision of all previous existences emerged in a revelation. Consequently, both men, by attaining Nirvana, were liberated from the vicious circle of life and death and thereby attained salvation.

The Christian influence on Siddhartha may not be immediately obvious, but it is, nevertheless, unmistakable. To attain salvation, Siddhartha must once again regain his innocence, becoming once again as a little child before entering the Gates of Heaven. Herein lies the perfect resolution of the novel. Throughout the various stages of his journey, Siddhartha discovers something of value in everyone he interacts with and each stage brings him closer to his ultimate goal.

Siddhartha learned something new on every step of his path, for the world was transformed, and his heart was enchanted. (P-48)

Through well-designed and deeply evocative writing, Hesse demonstrates, through Siddhartha's journey, the fundamental value of each and every person on Earth. Everyone has something special to contribute to the universe. Accordingly, Siddhartha's final realization of his goal of finding enlightenment is simply amazing.

No doubt, the truth for which Siddhartha and Govinda searching is a universal understanding of life or Nirvana. Siddhartha and Govinda both have a fundamental desire to understand their lives through spirituality, but they differ in their willingness to do what they must do for their search for the truth. During the search, Siddhartha becomes suspicious that one path may lead to dead end and thus he quickly alters his course. He willingly abandons the path of the Brahmin for the path of the Samanas, them abandons the Samanas for Gotama, and then to makes a sweeping departure from spiritual teachers and search and enters the material world with Kamala and Kamaswami. He never halts his search and continues to follow different paths till he reaches Nirvana.

While on the other hand Govinda, is much less flexible in his quest for spiritual enlightenment. In his quest, he restricts himself to the spiritual and religious world and persists in his need for teachers. While Siddhartha is willing to break the religious conviction and also abandon all his training, Govinda is willing to seek truth only as long as it appears within the narrow confines of Hinduism or Buddhism and is transmitted by a respected teacher. As a result, Govinda is unable to see the truth around him, subsequently he is limited by his belief that truth will appear in the way he has been taught by his teachers. This distinction between Siddhartha’s inexorable search and Govinda’s inadequate search is the reason why Govinda can attain enlightenment only through an act of grace on Siddhartha’s part, whereas Siddhartha is able to find truth through his own powers.

In life we are all looking for meaning, we are all looking for something to give us a purpose and, in essence, a reason to actually be alive. Through the quest we proclaim to find our own peace. Siddhartha while followed the teachings of others fells that, it granted him little or no happiness. His meeting with Buddha makes him realises that the only way he can achieve Buddha’s degree of serenity and tranquillity is to find it himself. Consequently, he takes his own path, although an indirect one, and finally awakens his mind into a sense of enlightenment. Nevertheless, in order to do so, he must first realise the true state of emptiness. And, of course, to understand emptiness one must first experience momentary fullness. Accordingly, he walks into the world of the everyday man. He indulges in their desire and pleasure, he also gains belongings and also takes a love, forms attachments and gets a household of servants and also accumulates wealth -

Siddharth had learned to trade, to use his power over others, to enjoy himself with women, he had learned to wear beautiful clothes, to give order to servants ……. these people were all the time in love with themselves……. (p 27)

Through experiencing all such things, he learns that they are shallow and temporary, it became clear to him that lust was akin to death. It will never create the feeling of lasting happiness within his soul, so he walks out once more with the full realisation that peace can only come from one place and that is from within –

I have had to experience so much stupidity, so many vices, so much error, so much nausea, disillusionment and sorrow, just in order to become a child again and begin anew. I had to experience despair, I had to sink to the greatest mental depths, to thoughts of suicide, in order to experience grace.

He experiences oneness with his own thoughts, with everyone else and anything that resides in nature and thus becomes enlightened. Suffering exists, suffering will always exist, and it is how we deal with this suffering that defines us and it is how we pick ourselves up later on not letting it ruin our lives, and those around us, that makes us stronger. In this Hesse capture something extremely difficult to put into words, which is something the novel frequently recognises. Happiness is not equitable with materialism, and to make us realise that seeking something too ardently may mean we miss it altogether.  He realises that all our pursuits are temporary and doomed to fail. Materialism does not ultimately equate to happiness nonetheless. Besides it can be a stage of learning and growth. No doubt inner peace and joy is with us always but we are not consistently aware of it. Sometimes a spiritual awakening allows this light of joy to temporarily shine through and we become aware of the enlightenment that was, and is, always there. Seeking the meaning of life is not the answer, living life, the life of peace and compassion is. Siddhartha follows the vibrations of his soul, the sound of the river, and it takes him exactly where he needs to go. In this book the writer cuts through all the rhetoric, the arguments and debates, and gets to the very heart of the matter itself. 

The perception of Om, which signifies the oneness and unity of all things, marks the main moments of awakening for Siddhartha. Siddhartha’s ability to finally grasp Om is his entrance into enlightenment, but along the way he encounters the idea a number of times, each time sparking a change within him. He first encounters Om was as he trained in rituals as a Brahmin. He realizes that though he has been taught what Om should mean, none of those around him have fully reached a full understanding of it in their own lives. People who chant the word and understand the concept intellectually surround him, but their lives do not reflect the enlightenment that comes from fully embracing the energy, dynamism and vibration of Om. He hears Om again when he stands near the river considering suicide. Realizing that life itself is imperishable, he must learn to just BE not try to force his life along specific paths. Essentially, he is trying to merge with Om, which he recognizes as being all around him, rather than continuously search for a philosophy that accesses it on an intellectual basis. Here it seems that the river suggests this battle visually as the opposing banks represent the polarities, and the river itself represents the ideal union of them. Siddhartha finds enlightenment only when he understands Om, the unity of polarities -

And in the moment when the sound of Om touched Siddhartha’s ear, his dormant spirit suddenly woke up and realised the foolishness of his actions….when the Om entered his consciousness :  He became aware of himself in his misery and his error……Om! as he spoke  to himself ….he knew about Brahman, knew about the indestructibility of life, knew about all that is divine, which he had forgotten.( p 84)

Complete entry and submergence into Om, into the nameless, the perfect makes him achieve the transcendence where he can accept that all is false and true at the same time, that all is living and dead at the same moment, and that all possibilities are united in the spirit of the universe.

His meeting with the ferryman Vasudeva is equally interesting. He finds in Vasudeva a great listener. He learns many this from his and the most important of all was, the art of listening and the secret of the river –

….the river is everywhere at once, at the source and at the mouth, at the waterfall , at the ferry, at the rapids, in the sea, in the mountain, everywhere at once, and that there is only the present time for it, not the shadow of the past, not the shadow of the future?

(p 104)

And here he meets Kamala again and also his son. Kamala asks him –

You have achieved it?  you have found peace? (p 110)

Kamala dies a peaceful death their son now with Siddharth. He wants his son to understand him, to accept his love or perhaps to reciprocate, but he fails in his attempt. In due course, he realises that his blind love for his son was a passion, something very human – it was Sansara. And then one day the boy runs away, he follows him but without success.  The wound still burning in his heart he sees Brahman in each passion that humans experience. As he is going by the river to search his son, he sees his face in the river, his face reminds him of his father’s face, the Brahman. And he remembers his own farewell to his father. Now after so many years the same is happening to him. The river telling the story and suffering of his father, of his son and of himself. These images along with images of Govinda, Kamala and others merging with each other and into each other. Yet again he can listen to the sound of Om floating in the air over all the voices of the river. He finds the his self  had flown into the oneness. Vasudeva is a person who has already reached enlightenment and is content to take people across the river. In Hindu Culture Vasudeva is the name given to Vishnu. Vishnu is the supreme Brahman, he is the one who dwells in all beings and in whom all beings dwell.

यत्तत्सत्त्वगुणं स्वच्छं शान्तं भगवतः पदम् ।

यदाहुर्वासुदेवाख्यं चित्तं तन्महदात्मकम् ॥21॥

yat tat sattva-guṇaḿ svacchaḿ

śāntaḿ bhagavataḥ padam

yad āhur vāsudevākhyaḿ

cittaḿ tan mahad-ātmakam

(The mode of goodness, which is the clear, sober status of understanding the Personality of Godhead and which is generally called vasudeva, or consciousness, becomes manifest in the mahat-tattva.SB 3.26.21)

As Siddharth, the protagonist attains the supreme bliss, we see Vasudev merging with the infinite, his steps full of peace, his head full of luster, his body full of light.

At the end of the novel, the more he listens to the river, the more he becomes aware of the complexity of Om and how it involves not only the physical and spiritual world but also time itself. This sound of Om signals the true beginning of his life -- the beginning of suffering, denunciation, peace and finally wisdom. When he finally comprehends the word in its entirety and understands that all things exist at the same moment, all possibilities are real and valid, and time itself is empty, he finally achieves enlightenment.

The other short novel of Hermann Hesse The Journey to the East was published in 1943, it was as such written as a preliminary study to his final masterpiece The Glass Bead Game, shortly after this he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature (1946). The story of the novel is narrated by H.H and it is the tale of a philosophical sect called the League which including writers, musicians and artists, who travel through space and time, meeting illustrious personages both imaginary and real - including Plato, Mozart, Paul Klee, Baudelaire, in search of the ultimate truth during the aftershock of the World War. The novel explores themes of service, leadership, the contemplative life. The difficult tasks historians face while interpreting the novel is its setting - set against the backdrop of a mystic journey whose destination becomes increasingly unclear. It is believed that H.H. stands for Hermann Hesse and that H.H.’s venture is a metaphor both for Hesse’s life and for his writing, including the novel in which H.H. appears. No doubt the novel is about Hermann Hesse’s deep personal experiences and inward journey.  It’s a mysterious novel, with its deceptively simple narrative structure and it lends to multiple interpretations.

The narrator of the story H.H. member of the mysterious League, describes himself as a violinist and a storyteller. The novel begins with H.H. announcing his intention to recreate in writing a fabulous Journey to the East which he undertook as a member of the League. The aims of the League no doubt is ambiguous, besides H.H. is bound by a vow of silence, that is to say he cannot disclose the League’s purpose. Nevertheless, he is determined to give an accurate historical account of the Journey. Subsequently describing his initiation into the League and the formation of the group with which he would travel, H.H. quickly grows uncertain of himself and his writing. As he tries to remember what befell the group, he describes the story he has to tell as incomprehensible and gibberish. It is more difficult to remember what happened than he had anticipated, despite his constant assertions that the Journey was the most precious and unforgettable time of his life.

Although it is called the Journey to the East, the group’s destination is unknown.

We not only wandered through space, but also through time. We moved towards the east, but we also travelled into the Middle Ages and the Golden Ages …. (p 50, The Journey to the East)

As they travel, there is initially a sense that the group is moving eastward, but then again H.H. is soon claiming that the Journey takes them through time and space, as well as geography. The group meets figures from Hesse’s novels and also characters from other works of fiction, such as Don Quixote, childhood friends, and people who have died. H.H. states that each member of the group has a different goal, but the pursuit of each goal will lead to the success of the group’s ultimate goal: the East. The book can be read as a meditation on the creative process, or more specifically, the act of writing a novel or reconstructing a history contingent on memory as a metaphor for a journey.

The group’s first difficulty proves to be its last. A servant named Leo vanishes and as soon as he is gone, each member of the group places more and more importance on Leo. It seems that his disappearance makes the group realise that his presence is essential for the quest. The group members begin to blame each other for his disappearance, and H.H. starts to doubt the purpose of his quest. Ultimately the group disperses and H.H. returns to normal life. But as anguish and uncertainty overtake him and unforeseen hitches and complications meet his attempts to refabricate the Journey in writing, he convinces himself that his life has no purpose, and that the League is disbanded, if in fact, it ever existed. Late in the book, a chance encounter with Leo leads to H.H. being summoned before the High Throne in order to be judged. Near the end of the book, H.H. is stunned to learn that Leo whom all thought to be a servant is actually the President of the League. He recalls what Leo once said to him: ‘He who wishes to live long must serve’. Leo also calls this precept the ‘Law of service’, and says that ‘he who wishes to rule does not live long’. This statement leads H.H. to wonder why anyone would ever want to rule, if ruling, or becoming a master, is a negation of immortality. As Leo vanished the whole unity is perplexed and shattered. The writer says that just as Roman collapsed after Caesar’s death the league broke up on the unhappy day of Morbio. Now he must read about himself in the League archives and learn the truth about himself. When he does this, he realizes that he must disappear in order for Leo to grow. As the novel concludes, H.H. is looking for a place to lie down and sleep.

I now saw the double figure representing Leo and myself, not only becoming clearer and each image more alike, but I also saw something moving, slowly, extremely slowly, in the same way that a snake moves which has fallen asleep. Something was taking place there, something like a very slow, smooth but continuous flowing or melting; indeed, something melted or poured across from my image to that of Leo’s. I perceived that my image was in the process of adding to and flowing into Leo’s, nourishing and strengthening it. It seemed that, in time, all the substance from one image would flow into the other and only one would remain: Leo. He must grow, I must disappear.

As I stood there and looked and tried to understand what I saw, I recalled a short conversation that I had once had with Leo during the festive days at Bremgarten. We had talked about the creations of poetry being more vivid and real than the poets themselves. The candles burned low and went out. I was overcome by an infinite weariness and desire to sleep, and I turned away to find a place where I could lie down and sleep. (p 108)

And consequently, the ultimate truth is finally revealed to H.H, he understands that he must yield, submit, even die unto that unifying, continuously flowing substance, personified by the humble servant and President Leo. It is only through amenity, faith, humility and the transcendence of individual ego can there ever be an awakening of the “home and youth of the soul”, thus releasing H.H. from the depths of utter anguish and despair. This realisation leads him back towards the East, towards the Light, towards Home.

The East can be seen as a geographical location or as a variety of metaphors for a lofty goal –

Our goal was not only the East, or rather the East was not only a country and something geographical, but it was the home and youth of the soul, it was everywhere and nowhere, it was the union of all times (p 50).

Its status as an actual location is difficult to sustain. Facing eastward and beginning to walk is not a guarantee of eventually reaching concepts such as the ‘youth of the soul’ or arriving ‘everywhere and nowhere’. Peter Roberts in his research paper says that -

There has been much debate over the meaning of the ‘East’ in The Journey to the East, but rather less attention has been paid to the other key word in the title. One of the keys to understanding this enigmatic novel, I think, lies in the word ‘journey’. The fact that it is a journey and not, for example, an arrival, is itself of significance – especially from an educational point of view. For the idea of a journey suggests the possibility of learning – and in this case, of lifelong learning. For Hesse, this journey never ends. We never quite reach the point at which we can declare, comfortably and permanently, ‘I am now home; there is nothing more for me to do’. Hesse himself, even while living in self-imposed relative seclusion, never believed he reached this point and remained a restless being until his death. This was not contrary to his mature conception of spiritual fulfilment and self-understanding but, as The Glass Bead Game shows, utterly consistent with it. It will, Hesse believed, always be necessary to keep reflecting and learning, and doubts, questions and critique are fundamentally important in this educational process.

(Published in: Paideusis: International Journal in Philosophy of Education, vol.17, no.1, 2008, pp. 45-58. The Dream of a Journey to the East: Mystery, Ritual and Education in Hermann Hesse’s Penultimate Novel)

Timothy Leary, a well-known American psychologist and author calls him a poet of the interior journey. He says –

Hesse reminds us, stay close to the internal core. The mystic formulas, the league, the staggeringly rich intellectual potentials and deadening traps if the internal flame is not kept burning. The flame is always there, within and without, surrounding us, keeping us alive. Our only task is to keep turned in.

(http://www.gss.ucsb.edu/projects/hesse/papers/documents/Leary-The-Politics.pdf )

 As one of the greatest exponents of the individual’s search for authenticity, spirituality and self-knowledge, Hermann Hesse utilizes his surreal, parallel-world exposition to explore the relationship between illusion and reality, dream and memory and, in particular, the definite and indefinite as expressed through the power of words.  He is a popular with today’s generation as the youth of today identifies with his alienated protagonists.

Thus, in both the above novels we see a spiritual quest. It narrates the process of profound inner awakening, shifting from one state of consciousness to another. Spiritual journeys are undertaken by both the protagonist who are searching for meaning and purpose in their lives through self-discover. They are facing a crossroads, wanting to reconnect with the natural environment through understanding, inter-connectivity with the earth and global consciousness on a deeper level. This quest cannot be bought or gifted, it can only be experienced and discovered by the individual. When one steps out of one’s comfort zone, away from the pressures of modern living, and consciously explore other lands, cultures and beliefs systems, the spiritual growth is guaranteed. Focusing on the journey rather than the destination, the journey ultimately leads to the destination. Traveling consciously, with intention, respect, an open mind the protagonist rediscover themselves. The journey is not just external, but it is an internal and eternal journey through time and space in search of ultimate truth.  Here enlightenment is not detachment from material, fleshed lives, it is acceptance and refinement of the humanity that ultimately liberates the spirit. Both the books are beautifully written ethical allegories, telling us that the ultimate truth is that everything is an illusion. An illusion that needs to be subsisted and experienced in order to find out the absolute truth. Which is nothing but an awakened consciousness unrestricted by all beliefs, limits, boundaries and miseries. The absolute Ecstasy of nothingness in Oneness. The final message is beautifully captured in these lines -

On A Journey

Don't be downcast, soon the night will come,

When we can see the cool moon laughing in secret

Over the faint countryside,

And we rest, hand in hand.

Don't be downcast, the time will soon come

When we can have rest. Our small crosses will stand

On the bright edge of the road together,

And rain fall, and snow fall,

And the winds come and go.

(Translated by James Wright Hermann Hesse)

( https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/on-a-journey/)

Reference –

1.Bernhard Zeller, “Hermann Hesse in Selbstzeugnissen and Bilddokumenten,” Rowohlt Verlag bei Hamburg, new and extended edition, 1975.

2.Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha an Indian tale, Fingerprint classics,2012

3.Hermann Hesse, The Journey to the East,Granada Publications,  1984

Published in -

 #International Education and Research Journal  [IERJ] 

Website: www.ierj.in

E-ISSN No : 2454-9916 | Volume : 6 | Issue : 1 | Jan 2020